application to him. Inasmuch as the Secretary of War has (that being the construction I place on his reply) referred the whole matter to him I respectfully submit it to his judgment. By detailing an officer from each company of each regiment to proceed to different portions of Tennessee, and with a knowledge of the fact that the recruits would be united with Tennessee regiments, and would come under my command, I am confident I could fill the regiments in a very short time. If General Van Dorn should grant the application I would be gratified if he would assign Captain Humes' company of artillery to my command, so that I might, while filling the regiments, procure horses, &c., so as to fit a battery of light artillery for the field.

With great respect,

GID. J. PILLOW,

Brigadier-General, C. S. Army.

[Inclosures.]

OXFORD, MISS., September 25, 1862.

GEORGE W. RANDOLPH, Secretary of War:

Reported to General Van Dorn as ordered by General Bragg. No command for me until returned prisoners are organized. Among these are thirteen skeleton Tennessee regiments. Id ten of these are placed under me I can proceed to Middle Tennessee and fill them by volunteers in thirty days. They aggregate about 4,000. Organization proceeding very slowly. If all 15,000 remain at Jackson organized and armed much time will be lost. General Van Dorn thinks he can make no order about it; Bragg out of reach. I [have] nothing to do. Please answer.

GID. J. PILLOW,

Brigadier-General, C. S. Army.

RICHMOND, VA., [September] 27, 1862.

Brigadier-General PILLOW:

General Van Dorn has telegraphed that he is expecting you and will assign you to a command.

G. W. RANDOLPH,

Secretary of War.

RICHMOND, VA., September 30, 1862.

Gov. JOHN J. PETTUS, Jackson, Miss.:

Your dispatches of 28th and 29th* received. Orders have been sent to General Van Dorn, and will no doubt receive his attention. Major-General Pemberton goes directly to Jackson to command in your section. He is an officer of great merit, and I commend to your kind consideration. His department will be Mississippi and Louisiana, east of the river. I have directed more arms to be sent.

JEFFERSON DAVIS.

WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A.,

Richmond, Va., September 30, 1862.+

Major General J. C. PEMBERTON:

GENERAL: You will proceed to Jackson and relieve General Van Dorn from the command of the district assigned to him by General

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* Not found.

+ Recorded in War Department books as of October 4, 1862. Original dated as above.

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